What is the most effective web supplier in Charleston?
CNET recommends AT&T Fiber as the highest web supplier in Charleston. If AT&T Fiber isn’t accessible in your space, don’t fear—Charleston residents have loads of strong options. Options vary from fiber plans supplied by native supplier Home Telecom to cable connections from Xfinity and Spectrum. For these in wi-fi choices, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet present dependable 5G service.
Broadband entry in Charleston is spectacular. According to the Federal Communications Commission, each family in the town has entry to broadband speeds of a minimum of 100Mbps obtain and 20Mbps add, whereas 97% can go for plans providing speeds as much as 250Mbps. That’s considerably higher than in Columbia, South Carolina’s capital, the place solely 92% of households have entry to such high-speed plans—sufficient to simply deal with streaming, distant work and on-line gaming for a household of 4, in response to FCC requirements.
While my visits to Charleston are likely to focus extra on its sandy seashores and iconic delicacies than on web speeds, it’s good to know that quick, dependable connectivity is accessible regardless of the place you go in the Holy City.
Charleston web suppliers in contrast
| Provider | Internet know-how | Monthly value vary | Speed vary | Monthly gear prices | Data cap | Contract | CNET evaluate rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet Air Read full review |
Fixed wi-fi | $60 | 10-100Mbps | None | 1.5TB | None | 7.4 |
| AT&T Fiber Read full review |
Fiber | $55-$245 | 300-5,000Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Home Telecom | Fiber | $70-$130 | 300-2,000Mbps | None | None | None | N/A |
| Spectrum Read full review |
Cable | $50-$70 | 500-1,000Mbps | Free modem; $5 for router (non-compulsory) | None | None | 7.2 |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wi-fi | $60 ($35 with eligible cellular plans) | 72-245Mbps | None | None | None | 7.4 |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
Fixed wi-fi | $60-$80 ($35-$45 with eligible cellphone plan) | 50-250Mbps | None | None | None | 7.2 |
| WOW Read full review |
Cable | $30-$95 | 300-1,200Mbps | None | None | None | 7 |
| Xfinity Read full review |
Cable | $35-$95 | 150-1,200Mbps | $15 (non-compulsory) | 1.2TB | 1-2 years, relying on plan | 7 |
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Source: CNET evaluation of supplier information.
Other accessible Charleston residential web suppliers
Charleston has extra ISPs than many different cities in the US, offering a slightly extraordinary vary of choices. Here are another suppliers price contemplating.
- Home Telecom: This firm covers about 8% of Charleston, with availability principally in the Daniel Island space. Its fiber-optic plans provide 300Mbps, 500Mbps, 1 gig or 2 gig for $70, $80, $100 or $130 month-to-month — which is a little more costly than AT&T’s Fiber plans. But it is a native outfit, gear is included and there aren’t any information caps or contracts.
- Satellite internet: We suggest avoiding satellite tv for pc web in Charleston, on condition that cheaper and sooner choices are extensively accessible. Satellite web is greatest for rural areas that cable and fiber do not attain. If that is the place you reside, Hughesnet and Viasat are essentially the most distinguished suppliers, though every requires a two-year contract. Elon Musk’s Starlink provides larger obtain speeds and decrease latency, though it requires $499 for the standard set up, right down to $349 proper now, not together with the month-to-month price of $120 per thirty days.
- Spectrum Internet: Charter Communications’ dwelling web service is accessible to about 5% of the realm, principally north of the town in Ladson and Summerville. There are two cable web plans: 500Mbps for $50 per thirty days and a gigabit providing for $70 per thirty days. There aren’t any information caps or contracts. Prices improve by $30 month-to-month after the primary 12 months.
- Verizon 5G Home Internet: Like T-Mobile, Verizon makes use of its mobile community to wirelessly present dwelling broadband connections. It provides some plans with larger most obtain speeds than T-Mobile (1,000Mbps vs. 245), nevertheless it’s solely accessible to about 23% of Charleston households.
Pricing information on Charleston dwelling web service
The common beginning value for web in Charleston is round $46 per thirty days — on par with different cities, together with Austin, Dallas and Philadelphia.
Cheap web choices in Charleston
| Provider | Starting value | Max obtain pace | Monthly gear payment | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity Connect Read full review |
$35 ($66 after one 12 months) | 150Mbps | $15 (non-compulsory) | None |
| WOW Internet 300 Read full review |
$30 | 300Mbps | None | None |
| Spectrum Internet Read full review |
$50 ($80 after one 12 months) | 500Mbps | None | None |
| T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($35 with eligible cellular plans) | 245Mbps | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Internet Read full review |
$60 ($35 with eligible cellular plans) | 100Mbps | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 Read full review |
$55 | 300Mbps | None | None |
| Home Telecom 300 | $70 | 300Mbps | None | None |
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Source: CNET evaluation of supplier information.
Charleston broadband speeds
According to the FCC, 100% of Charleston residents have entry to broadband web and, much more impressively, greater than 43% are eligible for gig pace connections (940-1,000Mbps) from both AT&T Fiber, Home Telecom, Spectrum or Xfinity. AT&T additionally provides multigigabit plans as much as 5 gigs (5,000Mbps).
What are the quickest web plans in Charleston?
| Provider | Max obtain pace | Max add pace | Starting value | Data cap | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Fiber Internet 5000 Read full review |
5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | $245 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 2000 Read full review |
2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $145 | None | None |
| Home Telecom | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | $130 | None | None |
| WOW Internet 1.2 Gigs Read full review |
1,200Mbps | 50Mbps | $95 | None | None |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $80 | None | None |
| WOW Internet 1 Gig Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 50Mbps | $60 | None | None |
| Xfinity Gigabit Extra Read full review |
1,200Mbps | 35Mbps | $95 ($105 after two years) | 1.2TB | 2 years |
| Home Telecom | 1,000Mbps | 1,000Mbps | $100 | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus Internet Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 25-75Mbps | $80 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G cellular plans) | None | None |
| Spectrum Internet Gig Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 35Mbps | $70 ($100 after two years) | None | None |
| Xfinity Gigabit Read full review |
1,000Mbps | 20Mbps | $75 ($85 after one 12 months) | 1.2TB | 2 years |
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Source: CNET evaluation of supplier information.
How CNET selected the most effective web suppliers in Charleston
Internet service suppliers are quite a few and regional. Unlike the most recent smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it is impractical to personally take a look at each ISP in a given metropolis. What’s our strategy? For starters, we faucet right into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and pace data that attracts from our personal historic ISP information, accomplice information and mapping data from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. We additionally cross verify speeds with Ookla’s Speedtest.web. (Ookla is owned by the identical father or mother firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
This information leverages an in-house synthetic intelligence device known as RAMP, which is educated on our personal writing and makes use of our database to generate content material about particular web service suppliers that our writers can use in figuring out and presenting our picks for a given information. Check CNET’s AI policy for extra details about how our groups use (and don’t use) AI instruments.
Because our database is just not exhaustive, we go to the FCC’s web site to verify the first information for ourselves and ensure we’re contemplating each ISP that gives service in an space. Plans and costs additionally differ by location, so we enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out the particular choices accessible to residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to guage how pleased prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent modifications; all data supplied is correct as of our prepublication fact-check.
Once we have now this localized data, we ask three major questions:
- Does the supplier provide entry to moderately quick web speeds?
- Do prospects get respectable worth for what they’re paying?
- Are prospects pleased with their service?
The reply to these questions is usually layered and sophisticated, however the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we suggest. To discover our course of in extra depth, go to our web page on how we test ISPs.
What’s the underside line on Charleston web suppliers?
Residents of Charleston have quite a lot of choices on the subject of selecting a broadband supplier. Xfinity covers practically each handle in the town, and a few households can get sooner add speeds by means of fiber connections from AT&T and native supplier Home Telecom. If it’s low cost web you’re after, look no additional than WOW — it has among the lowest beginning costs you’ll discover anyplace in the US which do not spike after 1-2 years of use.
Internet suppliers in Charleston FAQs
Which is the most effective web service supplier in Charleston?
It is dependent upon the place you reside. AT&T Fiber is a strong alternative — and CNET’s high decide — nevertheless it’s not accessible to all households; most residents must accept the supplier’s DSL connection. If that is the case, there are higher choices in that value vary. Xfinity covers the best variety of addresses however comes with information caps and non permanent reductions. T-Mobile Home Internet provides no information caps, no value will increase and free gear rental — however its obtain speeds high out below 240Mbps, which is perhaps inadequate for households with a number of customers.
Which is the most affordable web supplier in Charleston?
Charleston’s least expensive web supplier is Xfinity, whose 150Mbps cable web plan prices $20 per thirty days. This value will increase to $64 per thirty days after one 12 months. WOW’s 300Mbps plan begins at $30 per thirty days, and when you go for a $5 value assure, it will keep that approach. WOW’s gigabit plan, which provides 1,000Mbps and prices $60 month-to-month, is among the greatest values in the US at 6 cents per Mbps.
Which Charleston web supplier provides the quickest plan?
The title goes to AT&T Fiber, whose 5,000Mbps plan prices $245 month-to-month — one other nice worth at round 5 cents per Mbps.
Is fiber web accessible in Charleston?
Yes. AT&T Fiber provides three plans for as much as 1 gig in a number of areas and as much as 5 gigs in others. Local supplier Home Telecom provides 4 fiber plans with robust protection penetration in the Daniel Island space.
